Report: Teen driver in fatal wreck was drunk

Saturday

May 26, 2012 at 12:29 AM

The 19-year-old Houma driver in a Fourchon wreck last month that ended in his own death, as well as another teenager's, was more than 11 times over the legal limit of alcohol consumption for somebody his age, a police report says.

Eric HeisigStaff Writer

The 19-year-old Houma driver in a Fourchon wreck last month that ended in his own death, as well as another teenager's, was more than 11 times over the legal limit of alcohol consumption for somebody his age, a police report says.Blood tests show Taylor Caro, who was in a car with 18-year-old Alexandra Blaisdell, had a 0.22 blood-alcohol level when his vehicle smashed into a semi early on April 1.Caro was driving his 2000 Lexus 300 north on La. 1 and failed to stop at a stop sign. The 18-wheeler's driver, Luis Contreras, 68, of Amelia, was already making his way through the intersection and was unharmed.The wreck at La. 1 and Fourchon Road sparked a push in the state Legislature and Lafourche Parish Council to address what some call a dangerous intersection. The intersection has seen several non-fatal wrecks since the new portion of La. 1 connecting Port Fourchon and Leeville opened in December.Caro and Blaisdell, also of Houma, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Contreras tested negative for alcohol, while blood tests done at the State Police Crime Lab in Baton Rouge showed Caro was way above the 0.02 percent legal blood-alcohol limit for someone under 21 who is driving after consuming alcohol. The legal limit for somebody over 21 is 0.08 percent.Caro graduated from Terrebonne High School in 2010 and worked for Abdon Callais Offshore. Blaisdell was a senior at Terrebonne High School.According to the police report, Caro and Blaisdell went to Grand Isle that night and were partying with friends at the Tropical Motel on La. 1. Later, the pair, along with several others who drove in separate cars, headed north to get breakfast.The report says empty boxes of Budweiser were found in Caro's car, while others with Blaisdell and Caro said they saw both of them drinking that night.The crime lab did not perform a blood test on Blaisdell, as she was not driving when the wreck happened.Members of Caro's family could not be reached.While police said alcohol was one of the major factors in the crash, politicians are still saying the intersection is a dangerous one. The wreck sparked an almost immediate outcry from members of the Lafouche Parish Council, while state Rep. Truck Gislcair, D-Larose, urged the state Department of Transportation and Development to study the intersection. The DOTD complied and will determine whether a stop light and speed-limit reductions are needed.Even James Caro, Taylor's father, testified in front of the House of Representative's Transportation Committee to try to spark change.“We hope something can be done to make it more of a safe intersection,” James Caro said to the committee last month. “We hope no one else has to go through this.”Gisclair has proposed reducing the speed limit to 45 mph for a half-mile stretch on all sides of the intersection, and also wants a traffic light installed. Right now, there are rumble strips and LED lights on the stop signs.Gisclair said the DOTD's study has not been completed, but DOTD Secretary Sherri LeBas has told him she would reduce the speed limit.“If they don't lower the speed limit, I will be on their backs from now until next session,” Gisclair said.Lafourche Parish Councilman Daniel Lorraine, whose district includes Fourchon, said even if April's fatal crash was caused by alcohol, he still believes installing a traffic light will help reduce the amount of crashes in the intersection. However, he said it's a toss-up whether the DOTD will actually install one.“From my standpoint, push this accident aside and it will happen again,” Lorraine said. “It's a dangerous intersection. Nobody can control what happens.”Gisclair said it is unlikely any bill or resolution will pass before the legislative session ends in early June. Much like Lorraine, however, he said there is still enough proof to show the intersection is a dangerous one, and something needs to be done.“An accident is going to happen eventually, whether there's alcohol involved or not,” Gisclair said.

Staff Writer Eric Heisig can be reached at 857-2202 or eric.heisig@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @HeisigHCDC.

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